A Thin Line
by Malboro-Pearls
Summary: When Edward stumbles upon a vulnerable homeless man on his way home, he decides to take a chance. Will he have made the right choice or will it be a dangerous mistake for the both of them? What problems could Edward's decision cause the two men?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Okay, don't own Twilight and I don't own Criminal Minds either. Both belong to their respective creators.**

_**Okay, so new story.  
>It's different to Change of Heart and it was something that wouldn't leave me alone.<br>Hope you like it.**_

"You need to lighten up, Eddie." Emmett laughed as we turned off the lights and walked out of the office. He chuckled the entire way out of the building and if I hadn't loved the guy like a brother, I would have clocked him one. It was still an enticing idea. "Go out. Have fun. Get laid. I'd bet money on the fact that someone could be happy to give you a ride."

"Please don't tell me you've actually got money on something like that." I groaned as we walked out of the building. It wouldn't surprise me.

"That would be telling." He smirked and I rolled my eyes as I stopped to light up a cigarette.

"Don't you have anything better to do than take bets on my sex life?" _Or lack thereof_, I thought bitterly. I had to admit, the thought of walking back into that empty house another night was not appealing in the slightest but I didn't really want to go and pick up a random trick either.

And unfortunately, my job wasn't conducive to keeping up a relationship. The only ones I'd known to actually make it work was Emmett and his wife, Rosalie – a spitfire if I've ever met one. Unfortunately not all of us have the ability to keep a relationship going.

I shook my head, getting rid of those thoughts as Emmett laughed. "Not a chance, man. I think the day you get some if the day the world stops spinning." I rolled my eyes, knowing that what he was saying wasn't exactly an exaggeration. Well, the world spinning stuff obviously was but everything else, not much.

It had been a while.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I punched him in the shoulder and he laughed. He walked off in the direction of his car as I turned to walk home. I only lived a ten minute walk away from the building so driving seemed pointless. And what with traffic it would probably take me longer to get there.

I threw my cigarette on the ground, hearing someone shouting out in pain as I turned the corner, I saw where it had come from.

There was a fight going on in the opening of an alley but as I got closer I saw that it wasn't really a fight. More like five guys attacking one guy on his own.

From what I could see he was down and I knew it wasn't really any of my business but the protector in me couldn't help but want to help him.

"Hey!" I shouted and two of them turned to face me.

"Keep moving, pretty boy!" One of them sneered at me and I stopped, smirking at him. "Get lost. Or do you want to find out what happens to pretty little boys like you who get involved in matters that don't concern them?"

"See, getting involved when someone is clearly outnumbered is what I do best." I tilted my head to the side, putting my hands on my hips, making sure that the glock resting there was clearly visible. "Sure you want to carry out that little threat?" His eyes widened as he saw the gun. "I could put a bullet in your head right now and get away with it scot free." I stared him down and he stepped away from me.

"Let's get out of here." He sneered at me and the others stepped behind him, looking as though they wanted to rush me. I placed my hand on the gun and they apparently all came to the same conclusion that even though there were more of them, the man with the gun was more of a threat. "He's a useless fag anyway."

Even though I knew they were talking about the man they'd been beating to a pulp I bristled, hating the derogatory term.

They talked away and I turned my attention to the guy on the ground. I walked over and crouched down next to him, pulling out my phone. I gently placed a hand on his shoulder and he flinched away from me. At least I knew that he was alive.

"Hey, hey, you're okay." I said softly, not moving my hand. "I'm just going to call an ambulance."

"No!" He turned to face me and I'm met with a pair of the bluest, fear-filled eyes I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot of fear in my job. "No ambulances, no hospitals. Please." He sounded so afraid and I immediately put my phone away.

"You could be really hurt." I tried to persuade him but I could see he wasn't going to budge. "You need to get checked out."

"I'll be fine." He sat up, wincing and I raised an eyebrow at him, challenging his words. "Really, thanks for your help but I'll be fine."

"Where are you staying?" I asked and he looked up at me, questioning. "I'm not going to just leave you here, not with those guys still around here. Something tells me that they wouldn't have stopped if I hadn't come along. Now, where are you staying?"

"I, umm . . ." He looked down at his lap and I took a proper look at him.

His hair was blonde but it was so caked in dust and dirt, it was hard to distinguish it's exact colour. His skin was dirty and his clothes threadbare and obviously too small for him. It hit me when I noticed that he wasn't wearing a coat in the middle of February, shivering that he didn't actually have anywhere to go.

I took off my coat, wrapping it around his shoulders as I pulled out my phone, dialling a cab.

"What are you doing?" He asked, seeming somewhat worried about what I was doing. Well, I think that if I had been in his place, I probably would be feeling the same.

"Well," I said, putting my phone back in my pocket. "From what I can see, you don't have anywhere to go." He looked away from me again and I shook my head, practically feeling his shame. "And that's nothing to be ashamed of. I don't know why you're out there, what caused all of this but I do know that I'm not going to leave you out here while you're hurt."

"A shelter?" He scoffed and I raised an eyebrow at him. "They don't give a shit about you, especially if you're a guy." He shook his head, wincing slightly at the movement. "There's a reason I only go there when I've got no other choice."

"Well, it's a good thing that's not where we're going then, isn't it?" I smirked, helping him to his feet slowly as he watched me warily. "Don't look at me like that." I chuckled lightly, shaking my head. I was probably throwing him into a bigger state of confusion than the one he was in before but then again, in my book, it was better than leaving him out here.

The cab pulled up to where we were standing and I opened the door, holding it open for him. I knew I was taking an enormous risk in doing this and some part of me knew that it was a stupid idea but I really didn't care. He didn't trust me. I could see that in the way he was watching me and his body language told me that he'd probably been on his own for a long time.

I looked up at the sky, knowing it was going to piss it down in a matter of moments.

"It's going to rain soon." I told him softly and he glanced upwards. "The choice is yours. Stay out here, freeze and get drenched while going hungry or you can come with me, get some clean clothes, a shower, some hot food and a warm bed." He bit his lip, weighing up his options. "It's up to you."

He looked up and down the street and I could tell the cabbie was getting impatient. I told him I'd pay him double if he'd wait. That shut him up quickly.

I looked back and saw that he had taken a few steps towards me, still looking nervous. I stepped away from the door not wanting him to feel cornered. He climbed into the cab, scurrying over to the other side, pressing himself against the door on the other side of the car.

I told the cabbie my address and he took us there without any real complaint. He was probably cussing us out in his mind but as long as he didn't say anything out loud, that was fine with me.

When we pulled up to my house, I threw a wad of cash at the driver and climbed out, opening the door for . . . mental note: ask his name.

He looked up at me cautiously before climbing out of the cab, which peeled out of the driveway as though he was on the run.

"Come on." I turned and walked up the driveway and unlocked the door, turning to see him standing a couple of feet behind me. "If you take your shoes off in the hallway, I'll order some food. Pizza, okay?" I looked back and saw him standing there, looking around almost in awe and I couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since he'd been in a house. "You okay?" I asked, stepping over to him but stopping a distance away.

"This is your home?" He asked and I nodded hanging my suit jacket up. "You realise how much of a stupid idea this is, right?"

"Why do you say that?" I asked, stepping around him to close the door. He looked at me, wide-eyed and I shrugged. "Letting the heat out. Now what makes you think that my giving a man a meal and a bed for the night is worse than leaving him to freeze and starve, right?"

"All, I'm saying is that I could be a . . . serial killer or something. You don't know anything about me." He was justified in his argument, I'll admit. But I had an argument of my own.

"Well, if you were a serial killer we would have met long before now." I chuckled and he looked confused. "I'm FBI." He took a step back and I chuckled again. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything. I meant what I said when I said that I didn't want to leave you on the ground."

"You expect me to believe that?" He didn't trust me and I didn't blame him. He was a homeless man who had been taken into the home of a stranger who just so happened to be a member of the FBI.

I didn't blame him for being wary.

"Put it this way, if you were in trouble – even despite the fact that I don't even know your name – I wouldn't have brought you to my home." I sighed running my hands through my hair. "We'd been en route to the FBI building and not standing in my entrance hall. But if you really want to sleep outside, you're welcome to go." I gestured towards the door before walking into the kitchen and picking up the phone, dialling the pizza place.

I didn't hear the door while I was on the phone, so I guessed he hadn't left. I put the phone back on the base and placed my gun and badge on the side.

"Jasper." I heard a small voice behind me. I turned to see him standing in the doorway that led into the kitchen. Even though he was the same height as me, if not slightly taller, he looked so small. He was hunched over, his fingers playing with the frayed cuffs of the threadbare sweater he was wearing. His eyes were fixed on the ground as though it held the answers to all of his questions. "My name is Jasper."

"Well, Jasper, I'm Edward." He looked up at me and I gave him a small smile which he returned. "Pizza will be here in about half an hour. Vegetarian alright with you?" He nodded slowly, probably waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Did you want to take a shower before it gets here?"

"You don't have to-"

"I want to." I cut him off and his eyes flew to the ground like he'd been scolded. I wondered what had happened to him. He displayed behaviour of someone who'd had an extremely strict upbringing. He was jumpy, didn't make or maintain eye contact and he kept himself hunched over, trying to make himself seem smaller, less noticeable. "Come on." I walked past him and he practically jumped away from me. I carried on, knowing he probably wouldn't want attention brought to his actions. I could hear him following me a little way behind me.

I led him into the bathroom and showed him where everything was and showing him how to work the shower. I swear, that thing still confuses me sometimes.

"Just let me grab you something to wear and I'll be right back." I turned and walked into my bedroom, grabbing a t-shirt and some sweats out of one of the drawers and walked back into the bathroom. "You seem to be the same size as me, so I grabbed you a couple of things."

"Why are you helping me?" He asked, his eyes downcast. "I mean, you don't know me. You have no reason to help me."

"I know." I shrugged and he looked up at me, his eyes showing nothing but confusion. "But I want to." He looked down again and I took a breath. "You're not used to that, are you?" Again, confusion. "People wanting to help you, I mean?"

"Not anymore." He whispered and I felt my heart ache for him.

"Get cleaned up." I said softly, moving back towards the door. "Food should be here by the time you're done."

He nodded, not meeting my gaze. "Thank you." His whisper was so soft, I didn't think I was supposed to hear it.

When I get down to the kitchen, I grabbed the phone, hitting the speed dial.

"Hunter."

"Hey, James, it's Edward." I ran my hand through my hair. "You know that vacation time you've been bugging me to take?"

"Sure I do." He laughed and I smirked at his tone.

"Something's come up and I need to take a few days." I bit my lip, knowing that it was short notice and I really needed to go through the proper channels but part of me didn't really want to leave Jasper. "Not going to be a problem, is it?"

"Should be fine." I heard him shuffling some things around. "I'll get everything sorted for you tomorrow. Must be pretty important for you to take time off."

"You could say that, yeah." I looked up at the ceiling, knowing that there was a man who had probably not had a decent wash or meal in a while.

"How long to you need?" He asked and I thought for a moment.

"A week, maybe?" It came out as more of a question.

"No problem." I felt my body relax with his words. "See you in a week, then."

"Thanks, bye." I hung up, placing the phone back in the base before I heard the sound of someone walking up the driveway.

I made my way to the door as someone rang the bell. I looked through the peephole, seeing my cousin Riley standing there. He obviously knew that I was there as he waved at me and I rolled my eyes, silently groaning.

I loved Riley. I really did. But there was only so much I could take of him. He was one of the most flamboyant people I knew and he didn't care what people thought of him.

"Hey, Eddie!" He grinned and I sighed, not able to stop the smile appearing on my face. It was an innate gift of Riley's. When he was happy, so was everyone else around him. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" He asked, a pout appearing on his face.

I bit my lip, glancing upstairs, knowing that Jasper – as nervous as he was already – would probably freak out with someone else in the house.

"It's probably not a good idea." I said softly and he smirk, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Nothing like that." I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "It's just . . . he's really nervous. Jumpy, you know?"

"And you think I'll scare him?"

"Honestly? Yes." He laughed and I smiled along with him. "I just don't want to scare him or freak him out any more than he already is."

"Alright." He nodded, understanding with what limited knowledge he had. "But you _will_ tell me what's going on soon. Not an option."

"Maybe." I conceded and he laughed again, knowing that he wouldn't get anything else out of me. He turned, starting to walk back out of the driveway. "Thanks, Riley. I really appreciate it."

"No problem." He laughed, waving me off as he walked away. He only lived two minutes away so it was probably a spur of the moment idea for him to come and see me.

I closed the door, realising that the shower had turned off upstairs. I hoped that Jasper felt a bit better after getting cleaned up. As I made my way into the kitchen, making myself a coffee and grabbing Jasper a glass of water, I heard him creeping down the stairs. It was like he was afraid to make any noise.

But then again, maybe he was.

I didn't want to startle him, so I stayed in the kitchen, waiting for him to approach me. I turned to face him as he stopped in the doorway.

His hair was still wet, plastered to his head and skin was now clear of all the mud and grime that had coated it before.

"How're you feeling?" I asked and he let out a breath, clearly not used to someone talking to him and asking him questions about his wellbeing.

"Better. Thank you."

"Good." I noticed that he had his clothes in his hands as he stood there. He clung onto the, as though they were a life preserver. "Want me to put your clothes in the wash?" I asked and his grasp seemed to tighten on them. "You're going to get them back, don't worry about it." I paused as the doorbell rang. "Hold that thought."

I made my way past him, making sure to leave a slightly wide berth so that he wouldn't feel threatened. I thanked my training for allowing me to know when to push and when to allow boundaries to stand.

I opened the door to see the pizza guy standing there with the two pizzas I'd ordered. I paid the guy, thanked him and turned to see Jasper standing there behind me with my mug of coffee and the glass of water I'd poured for him. His clothes were no longer in his hands and I wondered where he'd put them.

"I put them on the floor in the kitchen," he said softly, not looking at me. "Is that okay?" He bit his lower lip, clearly looking for approval. From what I knew about his behaviour, he'd grown up in an extremely strict household, possibly military. Type of a household where you put a toe out of line and there were serious repercussions.

"That's fine." I nodded and he gave me a ghost of a smile. "Come on, sit down." He nodded but didn't move. I walked into the living room, placing the boxes on my coffee table. I pulled out two coasters and slid them in front of him. He placed the mug and glass down on them.

I opened the boxes and gestured for him to help himself as I did.

"Any reason for the vegetarian?" He asked softly, watching me as I made my way through my first slice.

"Work in my job, you get turned off meat." I answered and he looked confused as he seemed to copy my movements. "You see dead bodies often enough, the sight, smell anything to do with meat." I shook my head, indicating it wasn't something I wanted to talk about while I was eating. "You alright over there?"

"I don't really . . ."

"This is your first pizza, isn't it?" I asked and he looked down, nodding slowly. "Don't worry. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's easy. Just pick it up and eat it with your hands."

We didn't really talk after that but he picked up how to eat a slice of pizza with minimal spillage. I told him to stay where he was while I cleared everything away. Although all it meant me doing was throwing the boxes in the recycling. Not exactly strenuous stuff but there we go. I didn't really want him to feel obligated to do anything because I'd made the decision I had.

"Jasper?" I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees as I thought of what I was going to say. "I guess you can tell I don't do this . . . ever. I don't go around splitting up alleyway fights and bringing someone home. It's not something I do."

"So why me?" He asked, not looking at me. Guy had a serious aversion to eye contact.

"Honestly? I don't know." I shook my head. "There was just . . . something about you. I don't know what it was but . . . I couldn't leave you there."

"Maybe you should have." He whispered, his hands fisting.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not good enough."

That statement didn't really confuse me. It was a clear sign of self-esteem issues which I was sure wasn't uncommon with those who lived on the street. Whatever put him there had done a real number on him.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, keeping my voice soft and calm. I didn't want him to feel pressured.

"Would anyone worth anything be living on the street?" His eyes finally flew up to meet mine. I could see the hurt that was flowing in them and I knew that it was only a matter of seconds before he clammed up on me. I'd seen it too many times before not to know the signs of a victim – because that's what it seemed he was, a victim of circumstance – when they've been pushed that little bit too far.

"Depends on what put you there." I shrugged and he looked at me, his brow furrowing. "Anything nowadays can have you end up on the streets. People are losing their jobs, can't pay the rent, miss mortgage payments and don't have anywhere else to go. People with mental disorders that aren't understood, can't hold down a job, nowhere else to go. Maybe runaways. Teenagers being kicked out." He looked away from me at my last words. "You were kicked out, weren't you?" He let out a breath, closing his eyes before nodding.

"The only one who really put up a fight when he kicked me out was my sister. I didn't have any money, no phone, nowhere to go. I tried to call her but my parents paid her cell phone plan. When I tried to call her, the number wasn't in use anymore." I nodded, hating that he'd been through something like that. "She was the only one who cared."

I made up my mind then and there, there was one person I knew who might be able to find Jasper's sister. And all I needed to do was make a call in the morning.

Hopefully, he would still be here in the morning.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: Very sadly I am not Stephenie Meyer or Jeff Davis. Sad times, I know._**

**_Though for all the Jasper lovers out there, if you want to see Jackson Rathbone do an incredibly good impersonation of a woman, check out Criminal Minds, season 4 episode 21. It's called Conflicted and it's brilliant. I will never be able to watch him on screen in the same way again._**

**_Anyways, enjoy._**

I woke up the next morning and let out a breath. I wondered if Jasper was still here or whether he'd slipped out in the middle of the night. It wouldn't have surprised me if he had.

When I'd shown him the guestroom the look on his face made my chest clench. How long had it been since this guy had slept in an actual bed? Or at least one that hadn't been slept in by hundreds of other people and he wasn't fighting to keep it from being taken by someone else.

I couldn't imagine what he'd been through.

I sat up, running my fingers through my hair as I let out a breath. I was cautious about going to check to see whether he was still here. Part of me was apprehensive, both at the fact that he might have left and about the fact that he might still be here.

I slowly climbed out of bed and made my way out of my bedroom. I walked quietly down the hallway towards the guest bedroom and opened the door. As I'd guessed the bed was empty and he wasn't in the room. I let out a breath of disappointment – and that's what it was – as I took in the room.

I stepped inside and noted that the bed was perfectly made. It didn't look like anyone had slept in it even though I knew that he had seeing as I'd been in the room when he'd slipped into it, his face full of amazement about what I guessed was having a bed to himself for the night.

There was nothing out of place in the room and it seemed like this might have been habit for him.

I turned around, surveying the room, jumping when I saw him curled up in the corner. He was sleeping on the floor. I walked over to him slowly before kneeling down. He seemed almost peaceful and it hit me that he was more used to sleeping on the floor than he was in a bed. It kind of made sense for him to not feel comfortable on the soft mattress when he'd spent god knows how long becoming accustomed to sleeping on concrete or something just as hard.

I didn't disturb him, not wanting to wake him when he actually looked peaceful. I remembered how he looked standing in the doorway when the pizza had been delivered. It was like looking at a ghost. He had been pale, ultimately too thin for his height and he looked like he needed more than one good meal. He had looked exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes betraying how many nights he'd stayed awake waiting for . . . I had no idea what.

I guessed there was no way to really let your guard down when you're living on the street.

I made my way downstairs, walking through to the kitchen and filling up the kettle. Setting the boil I walked over to the fridge, wondering what to make for breakfast. Normally I would have been showered and dressed and out of the door in about half an hours' time, making my way to the office so I'd make myself a coffee and grab something on the way.

I didn't really stop to make myself some food unless I had a day off.

Which was rare, I'll admit.

Looking over the contents of my fridge I saw that I had the makings for pancakes and eggs. Grabbing what I needed, I got out a frying pan and shoved some bread in the toaster.

"Umm . . . hi." I turned to see Jasper standing in the doorway, looking unsure of himself. I could see that his hair had dried out and was actually a honey blonde. It came to his chin in soft curls and made him look more innocent than his haunted sapphire eyes.

"Morning. Sleep well?" I asked, turning back to the food that was cooking in front of me.

"Yeah, um . . . the bed was . . . amazing." I chuckled, shaking my head. "What?"

"I know you didn't sleep in the bed." I said softly, looking over at him. "It's okay. I can guess why you didn't. It doesn't matter where you slept, as long as you were comfortable." He relaxed at my words and I smiled at him. He returned it but I could see that it was a struggle for him. "Tip: don't bother trying to hide the truth from an FBI agent. Especially when you do my job."

"Why? What do you do in the FBI?" He asked, making his way over to the breakfast table.

"You can sit down, you know?" He nodded, looking at the tall stools I had placed around it before sliding onto one of them. "I'm in the BAU." He raised an eyebrow at me, clearly questioning. "Behavioural Analysis Unit. I'm a profiler. I'm one of the ones that puts together the profile for the investigators to go off of."

"Is that accurate?" He asked and I shrugged.

"It's really just a guideline. Most offenders can be placed into a category so once we work out which one they belong to, it's easier to build a profile." He nodded, seeming to take on board what I saying. "Any reason?"

"No." He shook his head, looking down at his hands. "I was just curious." I plated up the food and shoved everything that needed washing up in the sink before turning around and placing it in front of Jasper. He looked up at me as I grabbed some cutlery and placed it in front of him as well. I didn't want to draw attention to the fact that he needed to eat, so I tucked into my own food. "Have you been . . . 'profiling' me?"

I smiled softly, chuckling as I cut into my eggs. "It's something that comes naturally now. Not something I do consciously but it does help when it comes to meeting new people. I'm sorry if that upsets you."

"Not sure how I feel about someone I don't even know being able to read me like I'm a book." He let out a breath through his nose, cutting into his pancakes.

"It doesn't mean I can know what's going on inside your head. I read behaviour. Body language. Something everyone does to a certain extent. But the only difference is that not a lot of people realise what they're looking for. I, and those on my team, do." I shrugged and he didn't look convinced. "Where are you from?"

"Boyce." He said softly, putting his fork down.

"Over in Clarke?" He nodded and I tried remembering the distance between the two places. It wasn't too far. "Small town."

"Yup." He nodded, chuckling bitterly. "Small town with a small town mentality."

"Tell me about it." He looked up at me, probably wondering what I was going on about. He clearly didn't realise that because I now had a badge and a gun, I hadn't always know how to stick up for myself. "I grew up in a tiny town in Washington State. Let's just say, you don't fit the norm there, you knew about it."

"What could people possibly have against you?" He sat back, his eyes dark as he watched me. "I mean, look at you. You have no reason not to fit in. Let me guess, you were a jock in high school, probably into sports and had girls all over you, right?"

I took a breath, placing my fork on my plate. "I can see where you'd get that idea. But now I'm the opposite of what I was like in high school. When I was a freshman, I was five four. I was the prime target for every bully in that place. So over the summer I decided that I'd had enough and I hit the weights, my parents signed me up for self-defence classes and I bulked up. The growth spurt didn't hurt either. I shot up six inches. I decided that I wasn't going to be their personal punch bag anymore." I sighed, shaking my head. "But they only left me alone for that year."

"What do you mean?" His tone wasn't as angry as it had been. Apparently, I'd struck a nerve and he knew that I was telling the truth.

"Well, as you put it, small town, small town mentality. Coming out in a town that size isn't a good idea." He drew in a breath, looking away from me and back down at his plate. "But you know all about that, don't you?" He looked up at me, his eyes full of fear as he sat there. I saw him start to tremble and I knew that his coming out had been worse than mine. Possibly what landed him on the streets. "Hey, you're okay. You're safe here, okay?"

"How did you know?" He didn't look up at me again.

"Well, for one, my job gives me a little edge but also I can tell when someone's in pain. Mostly because I've been through the same kind of pain." I said softly and he nodded, not actually answering me. "What happened?"

"I . . . I can't . . ." He shook his head, his eyes welling up. It was clearly painful for him to think about what had probably been his last night at home.

"It's okay." I whispered, resting my hand on the table, not wanting to really startle him. He was so jumpy and I didn't want to give him an excuse to run. "You don't have to tell me. It's okay, you don't have to."

"But you've . . . you've been so kind to me. You didn't have to give me somewhere to sleep, something to eat and clothes, let me use your shower and . . ." I knew what he was thinking. He thought that he had to repay me for allowing him to stay here. I shook my head, smiling softly. "What?"

"I mean it. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"I um . . . I feel like I need to though." I opened my mouth to answer but he shook his head. "Not for you, really but partly because I haven't told anyone what happened."

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me." He nodded, taking a breath.

"It's alright." He closed his eyes and I sat back, waiting for him. He sat there for a few moments before shaking his head. "I can't. No one actually cared about what happened to me. That's the hardest part. The only one who put up an argument was my sister."

"It's okay." I try to reassure him. "You don't have to tell me. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

He looked up at me, his eyes shining with tears he clearly didn't want to let fall. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it."

He took a breath, looking around. "I um . . . I should probably go. I mean, I've taken enough of your time and everything and you probably need to get to work and-"

"I don't have anywhere I need to be." I shrugged and he stopped. "I'm off for a week and you don't have to go." He was disbelieving and I didn't blame him. "I'm serious. Being honest, you've got nowhere to go, I've got a spare room and it's the middle of February. It doesn't make sense for you to go back out onto the streets. I mean, do you _want_ to go back out there?"

He bit his lip, shaking his head. "Of course I don't _want_ to go back out there but I don't have anywhere else to go. I know you say that I can stay here but what happens when you've had enough of the freeloader? I've tried getting off the streets but it just doesn't happen. I mean, I've had a few cash in hand jobs but they only lasted about a week or so and it's never enough for anything more than a few days' food. I didn't even graduate high school, for god's sake There's no chance I'm going to get an actual job or anything like that, so what's the point?"

"So you'd rather give up than take a chance, right?" I rested my arms on the breakfast bar in front of me. "That mentality is one of the things that's going to hold you back. Now, if you stay here, you have a permanent address which means that you can get your GED and get you on the right path."

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, standing up and running his hands through his hair. "What do you get out of it?"

"Absolutely nothing." I answered honestly, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't honestly get anything out of helping you." I leaned forward slightly. "But . . . I don't like the thought of someone having options and not being able to take the chances offered." He looked down at the table in front of him. "Look, I'm offering you a chance to get off of the streets. Like I said, I don't do this but there's something about you . . . I can't put my finger on it but . . . I know that if you had the chance you'd be doing something that you love." He didn't look back up at me and I knew I'd hit the nail on the head when I heard a slight sniff come from him. He tried to cover it up but I'd heard it. "What did you want to be?"

"I um . . . I wanted to be a police officer. Like my dad." He looked back up at the ceiling and I saw the slight shine that showed unshed tears. It was clear he had seen his father as a hero. At least until he had realised he was gay and subsequently come out and faced the ultimate rejection of his parents.

I knew something of the fear he had been feeling when coming to terms with the fact that he was gay and knowing he had to come out to his parents. Even though my parents had never shown that they would love me any less or that I would be worth less if I was gay but still the fear was still there.

It wasn't something that just went away because of how you thought your parents might react.

"How long since . . .?" I didn't really want to finish the question but I knew from the breath he let out, he knew what I was asking.

"Nine years." He whispered and I closed my eyes, hating his parents even though I'd never even met them. How could someone let their child live out on the streets? Or push them out onto them? I couldn't even fathom meeting someone like that. "My sister, Kate was the only one who cared that I had nowhere to go. She was eighteen. Two years older than me and she tried to get my father to let me stay or even to go to our relatives in Houston but he wouldn't listen to her. I tried calling her cell from a payphone after he kicked me out but all I got was a message saying that it wasn't in service anymore."

"He cut off her cell plan, didn't he?"

"I guess." He shrugged, shaking his head and looking back down at his hands. I really felt for him. He'd had no one for the last nine years. No wonder he was so wary about trusting me. "I haven't seen her since."

"Don't you think she would have looked for you?" He looked up at me, his eyes shining with hope and disbelief. "Someone had to have missed you." I whispered and he shook his head. "You don't believe that someone would have missed you?"

"No one cared enough to look for me and . . ."

"You were too scared to go back home." I said softly and he turned away from me. "I'm sorry. It's hard for you and I'm sorry but sometimes, talking about it helps." He shook his head and I let out a soft breath. "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll grab you some more clothes to wear."

"You're really serious about helping me, aren't you?" He asked and I nodded. He looked down as he stood up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I whispered as he walked out of the room and made his way towards the stairs. I let out a breath before running my hands through my hair. I grabbed the phone, making a decision. I hadn't even known him for twenty-four hours and I knew that I couldn't leave him to think that he was alone in the world.

"Brandon Elites. Whatever you want, made to go." I grinned at the hyper active voice that always brightened someone's day no matter what they were going through.

"Hey, Ali."

"Hey, vacay man. What are you doing up so early? Didn't you know that vacation is a time for you to re-lax and kick back?" I could literally feel her energy coming through the phone line and I knew that the little pixie was probably bouncing up and down in her seat, her spiky hair swaying around her head as it always did as she moved.

"I know, Ali but I need you to do something for me." I glanced towards the stairs, making sure that Jasper wasn't anywhere near. I didn't want him to overhear me and get his hopes up, especially if Alice couldn't find Kate.

"My fingertips are at your command." I could practically see her sitting, poised at her desk, ready to be put to work. If there was anything Alice Brandon lived for, it was hacking into anything and everything she could and digging up dirt on anyone and everyone.

"I need to you see if you can find anything you can on missing persons reports from nine years ago in Boyce." I said quickly and it was like I could hear the cogs in her mind turning as she worked and tried to figure out what I was asking and why.

"There are twenty eight for the year. Wow, lots of people for such a small place." She answered quickly and I knew she had them all listed in front of her. "Anything specific you need?"

"I need you to look for a missing boy called Jasper."

"Last name?"

"I don't know." I admitted and I could tell that she'd stopped. "I know, I know . . . it's weird but . . . I need you to just do this for me please and I'll explain when I can."

"Okay, but only because I love you." I smiled and she chuckled. "Okay, there was one boy reported missing called Jasper Whitlock. I'm guessing you actually know this kid who was sixteen when he was reported missing by his older sister, so I'm sending a picture to your handheld." It buzzed on the counter next to me and I grabbed it, opening the file she'd sent me. I closed my eyes, nodding slowly as I saw the picture of Jasper when he was sixteen.

"That's him." I sighed, placing my handheld back on the counter next to me. "What can you tell me?"

"Well, he was reported missing by his sister in the November of two thousand three but five days later their father reported to the local police force that he wasn't missing and that he was saying with family in another part of the country." She said all of this so quickly that if I hadn't known her for so long, I wouldn't have had a clue what she was saying.

I let out a breath. I was hating this man even more with everything I heard about him. "Can you get me anything on his sister?"

"Uh, give me a little while and I will be able to tell you where she buys her shampoo." I laughed because I knew she was serious.

"I don't need to know that, Ali. Just a current address and contact details." I bit my lip, thinking for a second. "Can you keep this between us?"

"Have you ever known me to spill a secret?" I could hear the accusation in her voice.

"Of course not." I knew she wouldn't tell anything important. She hated digging into other people's lives unless she knew that they were either the ones we were looking for or directly linked to a case we were working on. "Can you do it?"

"You doubt?" Of course I fucking didn't. "Coming in a flash, il mio amore." I grinned as I hung up the phone knowing that she would be calling me back sooner than anyone else would think possible.

Now all I had to do was occupy myself for however long it took her to get back to me.

I walked upstairs, grabbing some more sweats and another t-shirt for Jasper and heading over to the guest room. I heard the shower running and opened the door slightly, placing the clothes on the floor by the door. I didn't want him to feel like I was encroaching on his privacy and yet I knew he needed new clothes. He probably didn't think he did, considering he would probably wear the same set of clothes day after day.

Purely because it was what he knew.

I walked back into my room, closing the door behind me. I walked into my bathroom, again, closing the door, a habit I'd had from when I was living at home. Let me tell you, having your older brother walk into your bathroom when you're in the shower once is enough to make you remember to lock the door every time after that. I turned on the shower quickly before turning to brush my teeth while the water heated up. Thank god there was no limit to the hot water here. I don't know how I would survive if there was.

All through my shower I thought about Alice's words. His sister had filed a report stating that her brother was missing and yet their father had retracted the statement a matter of days later. Who would do that to their child? I was starting to hate the man I'd never even met.

What kind of person could just throw their own child out onto the street at sixteen years old?

Unfortunately, I'd seen worse.

As I walked out into my bedroom my phone started to buzz. I swear she was clairvoyant or something.

"What you got for me, Pix?" I asked as I opened my drawers to grab something to wear for the day.

"Kate Harrison, previously Kate Whitlock, married Garrett Harrison in 2007, now has two children, twin boy and girl. Works at the Boyce newspaper and works at a homeless shelter in Clarke County three evenings a week. I'm sending her home and work contact details to your handheld now." Just as she finished I heard her inhale and chuckled.

"You are beautiful, baby girl."

"Tell me something I don't know." She giggled and I rolled my eyes. "You gonna tell me what this is all about?"

"Once I figure it all out myself." I admitted and I could practically feel her confusion through the phone.

"Not doing anything stupid, are you, Eds?" She asked and I paused. Was what I was doing stupid? I guess many people would think it was.

"Guess it depends on how you want to look at it." I replied, grabbing my clothes. "Hit you back later, Pix."

"Be safe." And then she was gone.

I hung up, dressing quickly in a suit, shirt, leaving out the tie, grabbing my jacket and some socks before heading downstairs. Walking into the kitchen I grabbed my handheld and opened Alice's latest email finding a picture of Kate and all the information Alice had given me.

I slipped on my socks as I dialled my cell from the house phone. My cell started vibrating and I hung up.

"Jasper?" I called as I heard him coming down the stairs quietly. "Hey, you okay?" He nodded silently, fidgeting with the hem of the t-shirt he was wearing. "I had to run out for a little while, will you be okay on your own?"

"You're going out?" He asked, sounding shocked that I was willing to leave him in my house on his own.

"Yeah," I nodded, stopping in front of him. "I won't be long. Help yourself to anything you need. If you need to call me, just press redial." He looked worried and I gave him a soft smile. "Don't worry, I'm not going to be long. Couple of hours at the most. Make yourself at home. Maybe when I get back, we can grab you some clothes and stuff, yeah?"

He looked up at me, his eyes swimming with unshed tears. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything you're doing for me. Letting me stay here with you, even trusting me to leave me on my own, it's just-"

"It's nothing." I gave him another small smile and he returned it with a shaky one of his own. "You sure you're going to be okay on your own?"

"Yeah." He nodded, taking a deep breath, smiling again. "I'm just being a baby, that's all." He laughed and I joined him. "Go do what you need to do. I'll be fine."

"You'll be here when I get back? I have resources, I can find you if you're not." I laughed and he nodded. "If you need _anything_, just press redial on the phone and I'll come back. I know you're not used to someone being there for you anymore but I'm here now. Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you." He whispered and I squeezed his shoulder before I slipped on my shoes, grabbing my badge and gun. Not that I was anticipating that my gun would be needed but one could never be too careful.

I climbed into my car, hooking my handheld up to the GPS and loading up the address Alice had sent me. I hooked up the earpiece I used while driving to my phone via Bluetooth and pulled out of the drive.

The entire drive there, I couldn't help but wonder what Kate's reaction was going to be when I informed her that I'd found her little brother. Would she be happy or would she not care? I was hoping for the former.

Unfortunately, the drive wasn't really long enough for me to really think about anything too substantial and before I knew it, I was pulling up to a small house which had two cars in the driveway and one out on the street. Apparently there was some kind of gathering happening here.

I parked just clear of the driveway and climbed out, making my way up the path before ringing the doorbell.

The door was opened by a man who looked to be in his late twenties, his ash blonde hair falling into his eyes as he looked at me curiously.

"Can I help you?" He asked, leaning on the doorframe, asserting his dominance over his home.

"Garrett Harrison?" I asked, making sure I had the right address.

"Yeah." He looked confused, clearly wondering who I was and how I knew his name.

"Whatever you're selling, it's not needed." I looked over Garrett's shoulder, seeing an older man with the same honey hair and cerulean eyes as the man back at my house.

"Actually I'm not selling anything." I pulled out my badge and opened it, letting the both of them see the ID in there. "I'm Agent Cullen with the FBI. I need to speak with your wife, Mr Harrison."

"What the hell do you want with my daughter?" The man behind him asked, confirming my suspicions as to who he was.

"I need to discuss something with her, Mr Whitlock." He blinked at the fact that I knew who he was. "Yes, I know who you are and I know a lot more about you than just your name." Mental note: get Alice to do a background check on this guy. "No, Mr Harrison, if I could speak to your wife."

"Of course." He stepped aside, allowing me into the house. "Kate?" He called, walking into the house as I waited in the entrance hall.

Mr Whitlock stood there staring at me, his posture stiff as he drew himself up to his full height, puffing out his chest. He was trying to intimidate me so I responded by sticking my hands in my pockets, my body language giving off nothing but ease.

"What do you want to talk to my daughter about?" He asked, his voice gruff as he kept his eyes on me.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that until after I've spoken with your daughter." I answered smoothly and his eyes narrowed. Clearly, we weren't impressed with that answer.

"Hello?" I turned to see the slender woman from the photograph Alice had sent through earlier walking towards me. From what I could see she was the female version of Jasper, the same blonde hair with a slight curl, the strong cheekbones and bright blue eyes. It was almost uncanny. "I'm Kate Harrison. What's going on?"

"Hello, Mrs Harrison. I'm Agent Cullen with the FBI. I was wondering if I could have a word with you." She nodded and I glanced at her husband and father. "In private, if that's okay." She nodded, gesturing for me to follow her.

I followed her into what appeared to be a study and she closed and looked at the door behind us. I raised an eyebrow and she smiled sheepishly. "Little people have learned to open doors."

"Gotcha." I nodded, knowing that children had an uncanny knack for ending up in places they weren't supposed to be.

"What did you want to talk about?" She asked, sitting down. I followed suit, trying to work out how to broach the subject of Jasper.

"Kate," I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "I know about what happened with your brother." I said softly and I knew whatever she had expected, that was not it.

"You know about Jasper?" She asked, her voice quiet as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I do." I nodded and she closed her eyes, letting out a breath. "I know that you were the only one to stand up for him after he came out and that you filed a missing persons report after your father kicked him out. But that after your father told them he was with relatives, it was dropped."

"No one believed me when I told them the truth." She sniffed and I really felt for her. "I had no idea how to find him. I hoped he would come back when he knew Dad was out but . . ." She shook her head, wiping at her eyes.

"He didn't, did he?" She shook her head, trying to control her tears.

"I tried to find him and I guess I didn't try hard enough." She shook her head, looking over to the other side of the room. "In the end I just . . . gave up, I guess."

"It's only natural." I said softly. I had been around this kind of thing too much. I hated seeing families torn apart, no matter the reason. Normally it resided around death, but in this case, that wasn't what had happened. It didn't make it any easier though. "You might have given up actively looking for him but I'm betting that every time you saw someone with the same kind of hair, heard someone that might have sounded like him or experienced something that seemed similar to the way he was, you'd immediately turn to look, your heart would race and you'd just . . . hope that it was him. Am I right?" She nodded, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Then you didn't give up. You realised that you had to live your life but as long as you kept up the hope that you could find him, you didn't give up."

She looked up at me, smiling. "Thank you." She whispered and I nodded. She sat up a little, something registering in her mind. "Has something happened to him?" She asked, fear suddenly in her voice. "He's not hurt, is he?"

"No." I said softly, moving to sit next to her. "He's fine. He's okay. He's safe."

"Then, forgive me, but why has there been an FBI agent sent to talk to me? He's not in any kind of trouble?"

"No." I shook my head and she looked confused. "He's not in trouble. I'm not here in an official capacity but I had to let you know that he was okay and I had a feeling that the official title might be needed." She chuckled softly, nodding.

"Do you know where he is?" She asked, her eyes wide and wondering. I nodded and she sat up straighter, her chin trembling slightly.

There was a gentle knock on the door. "Kate, honey, is everything okay?"

I looked at Kate and she stood up. "It's Garrett. He's the only one who was really behind me in looking for Jasper. Is it okay if he comes in?"

"Of course." I nodded and she unlocked the door. He walked into the room and immediately saw the look on Kate's face, wrapping his arms around her, glaring at me over her shoulder.

"Garrett, he's found Jasper." She whispered and his eyes widened as he looked at me, disbelieving.

"You found him?" He asked, his voice hoarse and I nodded. "If this is a wind up and you haven't actually found him-"

"Jasper Allan Whitlock, went missing in November 2003 after he came out as gay and his father kicked him out at sixteen. Kate filed a missing persons report but five days later their father reported that he was with relatives in another part of the country and the case was dropped. I don't know how tall he was when he went missing but right now he's around six three, blonde curly hair, blue eyes, pale complexion with high cheekbones and a sharp square jaw. How am I doing?" He stared at me, taken aback at my words. "Do you really think I would come here if I wasn't one hundred per cent sure about what I knew?"

"I guess not." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, the other arm still wrapped around Kate. The two of them sat down and Kate wiped her eyes again, taking a steadying breath. "So, where is he?"

"Quantico." I said softly and she laughed gently.

"All these years he's been so close and we've not been able to find him." She laughed again, shaking her head. "I mean, we checked every listing in the state to find him and came up empty."

"That's because he's not exactly listed anywhere." The two of them looked at me, clearly confused. "Kate, he's been homeless for the last nine years." Her intake of breath told me that she'd never even considered that Kasper might be homeless. "I found him last night. He was cold and hungry and just needed some food and somewhere warm."

"So you took him home?" She asked and I nodded. "What if he'd been someone dangerous like a serial killer or something."

Definitely on the same wavelength. "Well, I'll tell you what I told Jasper when he said the same thing. If he was a serial killer, we could have met a long time ago." Their looks of confusion were exactly the same and I smiled. "I'm a member of the BAU. The Behavioural Analysis Unit. Profiling and dealing with serial killers and such is what I do and I can definitely tell you, Jasper is no serial killer."

"Is he safe?" She asked again, worry evident in her tone. I nodded and she let out a breath. "Why didn't you want to discuss this everyone?"

"Well, from what limited information Jasper has given me about when he came out, I didn't think you father would be too receptive to news of him."

"Well, my father's going to have to deal with it because my mom has done nothing but worry about Jasper since that day." Kate stood up and walked to the door, yanking it open. Garrett and I looked at each other for a moment before getting up and following her.

"Kate's parents split up after the whole thing with Jasper. She kind of 'came to her senses' and left him." Garrett said softly as we followed Kate through the house. "They divorced eight years ago."

"Scared of him?" He nodded and I now understood why she hadn't said anything in his defence that night. "How come they're both here?"

"The kids." He answered and I nodded.

"Mom?" When we stepped into the sitting room, Kate's parents were on opposite sides of the room. Her mother was sat on a chair in the corner of the room while her father stood leaning against the wall next to a window. Typical dominant-submissive poses. Apparently Mrs Whitlock hadn't gotten over her fear of her ex-husband.

"What is it, Kate?" She asked standing up and crossing to her daughter obviously seeing the distress on her daughter's face as she looked between the two of us. "What's going on?"

"They've found Jasper." She said softly and I saw Mr Whitlock stiffen out of the corner of my eye. Apparently someone was not happy with that news. "They've found him, Mom."

"Are you sure?" She looked at me for confirmation and I nodded, giving her a small smile. "You found my baby."

"What are you talking about?" I looked at Mr Whitlock, who was glaring at me. "Jasper didn't need _finding_. He was-"

"With relatives?" I cut him off. "That was the official story, wasn't it?" That was the story you told your fellow officers after Kate filed the missing persons, right? All because you didn't want anyone to know you had a gay son. Sound about right?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about." He sneered at me and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Oh, I think I do." I turned to face him fully and he puffed himself out again and he had in the entrance hall. I looked him up and down, judging his stance as he stood there. "You were brought up to be the typical alpha male, take crap from nobody, which is why you went with law enforcement. It allowed you to assert your dominance without anyone questioning you. You like to be in control of a situation and you'll do anything you can to maintain that control from what I can gather. You grew up in a strict household, possibly military and when Jasper came out that was something you couldn't control so you took him out of the equation just like you probably would have injected yourself into what was happening today if you hadn't realised the risk and the consequences of impeding a possible federal investigation. How am I doing so far?

He didn't say anything, only glared at me as I stood there matching it with an even stare of my own.

"Peter, stop it." I turned to look at Mrs Whitlock as she glared at her ex-husband. She turned to look at me, her expression softening. "Is he safe?" She asked and I nodded, earning myself a smile. "You must be good at your job. You got Peter down to a tee."

"Analysing human behaviour is what I do." I returned her smile with one of my own.

"Please tell me, is Jasper really okay?" She walked over to me a look of pleading in her eyes. "Is he safe?"

"He is, Mrs Whitlock." I nodded and she let out a breathy laugh.

"It's Ms Lawrence but call me Charlotte." I nodded. Someone didn't want to be connected to Peter Whitlock after their divorce. "Can we see him?"

I motioned for her to sit and she grasped my hands as if they were the only tie to the world. "You have to understand, Jasper has been living on the streets for the last nine years." Her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes watering as she looked at me. "He doesn't trust and he's jumpy. I don't even know how he'd react to the knowledge of your coming to see him."

"I thought you said he was safe." She whispered and I nodded slowly.

"He is now but there's still so much that he must have been through that we have no idea about. We have to take it slow." She nodded, seeming to understand what I meant.

"If we were to give you our numbers, could you call us if and when he does want to see us?" Kate asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"I can't guarantee anything." I said apologetically but the both of them scrambled to write down their numbers. I took them from them, noting that I'd been there for over an hour as it was. "I need to get going."

"Thank you." Kate said softly, walking me to the door. "You have no idea how much this means to us."

"I've seen this enough to have a fair idea." I glanced over her shoulder to see her father staring at us. I pulled one of my contact cards out of my pocket, handing it over to her. "Don't let him bully you. If he does, give me a call." I whispered and she nodded.

I walked down the driveway and climbed into my car, a small smile on my face. At least his family were behind finding him and wanted to see him again.

I just hoped Jasper felt the same way.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: Very sadly I am not Stephenie Meyer or Jeff Davis. Sad times, I know._**

**This one's a little shorter than the other two but you learn a lot about Edward and why he is the way he is. This is a repost because I figured having two Alice's (even if one's not a main) in the story would be a little confusing, so the second Alice's name has been changed. Hopefully it will be a little less confusing for those who have already read this chapter.**

"_Nothing is permanent in this wicked world— not even our troubles." Charles Chaplin._

Pulling into my driveway I couldn't help but wonder if Jasper had taken my absence as an opportunity to take off or whether he'd stuck around.

Walking into the house, I smelled something cooking and smiled to myself. He was still here. He hadn't taken off. For some reason – something I knew had nothing to do with worry for him if he went back onto the streets – I was extremely happy that he was still here.

"Jasper?" I called out and he stuck his head around the door into the kitchen. "Someone's been busy."

"You're back." He grinned and I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous he was when he smiled. He looked so much younger and more innocent with a smile on his face. It didn't hurt that he had dimples when he smiled either. But enough of that. "Did you get everything done?"

"Yup." I nodded, slipping my shoes off. "What you making?"

"Just some pasta." He shrugged, looking at the ground. "It's nothing really. I just-"

I hooked a finger under his chin, pulling his head up so he had to look up at me. "Thank you." He gave me a small smile before turning and walking into the kitchen. I followed, wondering what he'd cooked up and where he'd learned to cook. "So, what's on the menu?"

"It's just some pasta and sauce thing my mom taught me to make." He looked sad at the thought of his mom and I took the opportunity that had been placed in front of me.

"You okay?" I asked, sitting down at the breakfast bar.

"Yeah." He sighed, busying himself with the food. "I just . . ."

"Miss her?" I asked and he nodded. "Jasper? There's someone at the bureau that could find your mom and sister with nothing but a name and where you lived as a child. If you wanted, we can find them."

"You can?" His voice was hopeful and I hoped that meant that he wanted to know them again. Suddenly his shoulders dropped and he went quiet as he spooned out the food.

"What is it?" I asked and he turned, a plate in each hand. "What's the matter?" I stood up, grabbing some cutlery and a glass of water for each of us.

"I can't help but think, what if they don't care?" He sounded so defeated it broke my heart. Part of me knew what he was feeling. I didn't want him to think that he wasn't wanted. I knew that he was but I didn't think that letting him know that I had already seen and spoken with his family would be a good idea at this point. I wanted him to trust me. I had to build that up. "What if they don't want to know about me?"

"Well, you won't know if you don't try, will you?" He didn't look convinced. "What if I talked to them first?" Now _that_ got his attention. "You know, find out where they're at?"

"You'd do that?" He asked and I nodded, knowing exactly where they're at already. "Thank you." I knew he was scared and I didn't blame him. After what I'd seen of his father, to a sixteen year old boy, already scared, he was probably terrified. I knew that he was scared and I'd told Kate and Charlotte that I might be calling them later and for them to act as though we hadn't spoken before. They'd been confused until I'd mentioned that I hadn't told Jasper that I would be meeting with them and he might want me to call so he could assure for himself that they wanted him back in their lives.

They understood what I meant and said that they would be waiting by the phone.

We ate the rest of the meal in relative silence, the only conversation being me commenting on the food, which was delicious I might add and me asking what the secret was. He wouldn't tell me saying that it was a family recipe and he wasn't permitted to let me in on it.

After I washed up, arguing with Jasper, stating that because he cooked, it was up to me to wash the dishes, I made an excuse, saying that I was going to call about finding Jasper's family. I wasn't actually going to ask Alice to do some digging on Jasper's father.

"Brandon's House of Delights." I swear this girl didn't know how to say 'hello' in the normal way.

"Hey, baby girl, I need you to do some digging for me." I said softly, looking out for Jasper.

"Ooh, is it the kind that makes me dirty?" The girl has no shame.

"As dirty as you want it to." And I was just as bad. "I need you to dig anything you can on Peter Whitlock."

"Would this be any relation to Kate and the missing Jasper?" Girl was good.

"Yeah."

"Alrighty, Peter Nathaniel Whitlock, born July 12th 1963, been in the police force for thirty years. As you know, was married to Charlotte Whitlock for twenty years but they separated and divorced eight years ago – not an amicable split, from what I can see from records right now – but after the separation, he starts doubling up on his time at the station, taking on extra shifts and covering sick days and leave for other officers. Exemplary record."

It seems there was nothing dirty on him. Well, there goes that tactic. "Alright. Keep digging. There's got to be something there. There always is. His ex-wife was scared of him up until Kate mentioned Jasper, anyway."

"The digging has begun. I'm out." I shook my head as I ended the call, hoping I never did anything to piss her off.

I pocketed my phone before making my way back into the kitchen to find Jasper sitting at the breakfast bar, wringing his hands.

"Everything okay?" I asked and he jumped, looking up at me, sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I stood on the other side of the counter, resting my hands on the side. "They're working on finding your family." I said softly and he looked up at me. "They're going to get back to me when they locate them." He nodded, his eyes not leaving my face. "Right, why don't we go and get you some clothes, huh?"

"You don't have to, I-"

"How many times. I want to." His shoulders slumped and he gave up the argument that hadn't actually started yet. "Now, come on. Time's a-wasting." I made my way upstairs and grabbed some jeans and another t-shirt for him to wear. He looked at me, gratefully as he took them.

I hated the fact that he seemed to have absolutely no experience of someone looking out for him, someone providing for him. Or at least what he had known, it had been driven out of him by his life on the streets. It made me want to find his father and put a bullet in him. Not that I would. I just wanted to.

There's a difference.

My phone vibrated and I answered it, knowing it was Alice.

"What you got?"

"Right, I wasn't able to get anything on Peter Whitlock's professional career but I can tell you that during their marriage, Charlotte had several trips to the ER that brought up red flags with the staff but she never gave an indication that they were anything more than accidents," I closed my eyes, knowing that something like that was possible, but not wanting it to be, "but, doctors and nurses that knew something wasn't right but couldn't do anything about without an admission from Charlotte, put it in her medical file as suspicious _and_ after Peter and Charlotte separated, she filed a harassment charge and got restraining order taken out on him. He wasn't allowed within one hundred feet of her unless they were in the courtroom. Also, it seems that Mr Whitlock has taken a liking to our good friends JD and Jose which have landed him in a bit of trouble in neighbouring towns in the years since they split up."

I had the ammunition I needed if Peter Whitlock decided he was going to get in between Kate, Charlotte and Jasper in the future. Obviously he had knowledge of law enforcement but there were the inner workings of the bureau that he didn't know and he wouldn't know.

"Thanks, Ali." Jasper walked out of the guest bedroom, looking at me, slightly confused. I held up a finger, indicating that I would only be a moment before giving him a thumbs up. He looked at me confused before a look of amazement passed across his features. "Thanks, baby girl."

"Not a problem."

I hung up the phone and Jasper watched me nervously. "She's sent the info to my handheld which is in the kitchen." She had, only earlier this morning but he didn't know that. I made my way downstairs and I knew that Jasper was following me.

I grabbed my handheld and opened the information Alice had sent me earlier. "Is that your sister?" I asked, showing him and the inhale I heard from behind me told me that he recognised her. "Are you okay?"

"That's her." He whispered, taking the device from me, running a finger over the image.

"There's a phone number on there." I pointed out. "Want to give it a try?" He looked up at me, fear clear in his eyes. It was clear he wasn't sure what he wanted. He wanted to know his sister and his mother again but he was afraid. He didn't know how they were feeling. "We don't have to do it now if you don't want to."

He took a deep, shaky breath, looking up at me. "I need to know. I need to know what they think of me. I need to know if they. . ."

"Hey, they've probably been worried about you." I said softly and he looked up at me, not believing a word I said. I knew he wouldn't be easily accepting of what I said without talking to his family.

"I need to know. I need to." He nodded at me and I inputted the number into my phone, putting it on speakerphone. I held the phone out and he rested his head on his hands, gripping his hair tightly as it rang.

"Hey," I whispered, placing my hand on the table in front of him. "I can hang up right now. You don't have to do this." He shook his head, looking pointedly at the phone. "Okay."

"Hello?" He stiffened as his sister's voice burst out into the room.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Kate Harrison?" I asked and he looked up at me, confused as to the name. I pushed the PDA over to him and he glanced at it, seeing the information displayed on it.

"Yes, who is this?" She sounded convincingly confused as to who was calling her.

"My name is Agent Edward Cullen with the FBI." I glanced over at Jasper, who was biting down on his lip, tears welling in his eyes as he listened to his sister's voice. It was clear how much he'd missed her. "I need to talk to concerning your younger brother, Jasper."

"J-Jasper?" She whispered, taking a shuddering breath. "You-you found him? You know where he is? Where is he? You know where he is, right? Is he okay?" I raised an eyebrow at him and a tear ran down his cheek.

"Katie?" He asked softly and I heard her gasp. At least that I knew was genuine.

"Jazzy?" She whispered and I could hear the tears in her voice. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, Katie-Bug. It's me." She let out a sob and he gave me a shaky smile.

"Jazzy, we've missed you so much." She said softly and I heard a little voice in the background. He glanced up at me and I smiled. He'd heard it too. "Mom and I have missed you so much, Jazzy. And there are some people here that want to meet you."

"I've missed you, too, Katie-Bug. I've missed you, so much." He said softly, tears streaming down his cheeks. I couldn't help but smile.

"We love you, Jazzy." She hiccoughed and I chuckled slightly. "Can we . . . can we see you? Where are you?"

"I'm in Quantico." He smiled up at me, letting out a breathy laugh. "A very nice FBI agent found me and decided that he was going to help me. He managed to find you."

"Thank you." She said softly and I looked at Jasper.

"You're welcome." I whispered and Jasper laughed.

"I love you, Jazzy." I smiled at him before placing the phone on the table and leaving them to talk alone. It was a family reunion of sorts and I knew I didn't really have a place being there. He looked at me panicked and I smiled, gesturing that I was only going upstairs. He nodded, understanding.

I grabbed the house phone that was on the side as I walked up the stairs, calling Alice again.

"Talk to me, how'd it go?"

"They're talking now." I said softly, closing my bedroom door. "Thank you, Alice."

"So, tell me, what's going on, babycakes?" Impatient much?

"Well, you're gonna think I'm insane or whatever but, I stand by what I did and what happened because of it, so-"

"Yeah, enough justification here. Tell me."

"Alright, but you can't let on to anyone else what's going on."

"Promise."

"Alright," I let out a breath, running a hand through my hair. "When I was leaving work last night and group of thugs were beating up this guy and I stepped in. I asked him where he was staying and he didn't answer me. I looked him over and saw that he clearly didn't live _anywhere_. I couldn't just leave him there."

"Of course not." She sounded sympathetic and understanding of my choice to take Jasper off the streets. Alice was one of those people that saw the happy side of life, always looking for the positive in everything and everyone and wanted to help in whatever way she could. "Anything I can do to help?"

"I'll let you know." I said softly and she giggled lightly down the phone. We hung up and I leaned my head back on the door. Had it only been last night that I'd found Jasper being attacked? Was it only last night that I'd opened up my home to a scared man who seemed to be all alone in the world?

It felt like it was so much longer than that.

There was a soft knock on the door and I turned to open it, seeing Jasper standing there with my phone in his hand. He had a smile on his face and there was a look I hadn't seen in his eye before.

Hope.

"I trust that went well." I smiled and he grinned even wider.

"They looked for me. They actually looked for me after my dad kicked me out." He breathed, looking down at the phone in his hand. "Kate said that she reported me missing when she couldn't find me but that he did something at the station to make it all go away. Apparently, he really didn't give a shit about me at all. He didn't care if I starved or froze but they did." His voice had turned to a shaky whisper as he looked up at me. "My mom and Kate cared about where I was. They wanted to find me. I didn't make it easy by leaving town though, did I?" We made our way down into the kitchen where I put on a pot of coffee as he spoke.

"Hey, you did what you thought you had to do. You thought that they didn't care. You thought that you were alone in the world. You didn't want to be reminded of the things that you'd lost. That's completely understandable. There was a high chance that you wouldn't have been able to do anything at that point anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"I come from a small town, too, Jasper. I know what it's like. Everyone knows everything that's going on with everyone else. I know what it's like to be judged for something you have no control over. When I came out, all I wanted to do was hide away. I wanted to disappear. Leave and never come back." I let out a breath. "And when the chance came, I took it. And I've only been back a handful of times since I was eighteen."

"How old are you now?" He asked, his eyes widening immediately as he bit his lip. "Sorry, that's rude, you don't have to-"

"It's fine." I chuckled, shaking my head as I grabbed some mugs from the cabinet, pouring the coffee as I spoke. "Cream? Sugar?" He nodded his head. "I'm twenty-nine." I smiled and he nodded, blushing slightly. I handed him the mug and I led him through to the living room, settling on the couch as he sat on the other end, watching me closely.

"You haven't really been home in what? Eleven years?" I shook my head and his brow furrowed slightly. "How come? I mean, you're helping me reconnect with my family but you're not . . . you don't . . . talk to you own? Why not?"

"It's a long story." I sighed and he smiled, shaking his head.

"I've got time." He chuckled and I smirked, liking the fact that he was feeling a little more confident. "Come on. You've heard my story. You've been there for me. I don't know . . . why not let me in a little."

I let out a huff, running my hand through my hair as I pulled out a coaster and placed my mug on the coffee table. "Alright but if you get bored don't start snoring, okay?" He chuckled, shaking his head. I wanted to hear him laugh. Properly laugh. I had the feeling it was an amazing sound. "When I said that I knew what it was like to be pushed away, pushed out, I meant it. But . . . it didn't happen when I came out. At least not at first."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't actually really remember my parents being there for me. I mean, they must have been, right? There must have been at least some time when I was the most important thing to them, right? Or at least that's what I have to believe. I always remember my little sister being the centre of attention and not just because she was hyperactive and demanding. It was always about appeasing Jane, making sure Jane had everything she wanted and everyone else be damned, you know?" I looked up at him and he gave me a sad smile.

"Kate and I never had that." He said softly. "We were always treated pretty much as equals as we were growing up. I guess it was different for you, huh?"

"Completely. Jane got everything she wanted. I mean we were comfortably off, never had any issues with money or anything like that but it seemed like when Jane got everything she wanted, I got left with the sloppy seconds as it were." He looked confused, wondering what I was talking about. "I don't even think my parents realised they were doing it. Or maybe they were. I don't know. When I was sixteen my parents got me a car. It was a beat up old Rabbit. My dad said that when I'd proved myself a good driver then I could have a better one of my choosing." I let out a laugh, shaking my head. "When my sister turned sixteen, she got Porsche. Brand new."

"That's not fair."

"Tell me about it." I snorted, grabbing my mug again and taking a sip. "I didn't really know any different, you know? I just knew that you gave Jane what she wanted and there wasn't a fight. She didn't get what she wanted and there was screaming and things got broken until she got her way. Anyway, when I came out, it was like the world had ended. I'd never seen them like that before. They didn't explode or do anything really. They just sat there. It was like someone had a remote control and had hit pause on my parents and I didn't really know what to do. I kept expecting some kind of reaction from the two of them but nothing really happened. They just stopped kind of . . . acknowledging me, you know? But that's not the worst thing."

"What do you mean?" He asked , leaning forward, taking my hand in his, apparently not wary of the contact anymore. That short phone call with his sister and mother had done him so much good. "Being practically ignored for your whole life wasn't the worst part?" He sounded shocked and I shook my head.

"The worst part was that my sister," I let out a laugh and he looked even more confused. "My sister came home pregnant a month later and they were over the moon."

"What?" He sounded as shocked and pissed off as I was when it happened. "That's fucked up." I completely agreed with him but there wasn't much I could do about it.

"After that I completely walled myself off from them. I didn't see them for days at a time, took up an after school job to pay part of my way for college, organised everything for college on my own, finances, dorms, everything." I shook my head, placing my mug bag on the coffee table and running my hand through my hair. It hadn't escaped my notice that Jasper had a fierce grip on my hand. "My mom calls every couple of months but that's it. I haven't seen them in four years."

"Not even for holidays?" I shook my head and I could see his eyes welling up with tears. Tears for me.

He put his mug on the table and gently pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms around me, whispering something in my ear.

Who knew that it would be a stranger that would be the one to comfort me with regards to my parents? Not even Emmett or those on the team knew exactly what had happened. All they knew was that we didn't speak and they left it at that. They didn't push me for more.

But for some reason, this broken young man had managed to get my story out of me without even trying and something in me felt a little lighter.

Who knew that with helping the young, homeless man on the street would be the only one that could get the story out of me?

I sure as hell didn't.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


End file.
